Requirements

The Graduate School at UNC-CH requires 30 semester hours of graduate work to complete a Master of Arts degree (for this and other Graduate School requirements, see the Graduate School Handbook. At least 24 semester hours must be taken in courses at UNC-CH. At least three semester hours must be earned in completion of a thesis.

The specific content of student programs is planned in consultation with the Program Advisor. Three core courses, four semesters of language courses, and a thesis project are among the requirements for completion of the degree. Click here to view some sample curricula.

Core courses

• HIST 783 -- Contemporary History of Russia and Eastern Europe (1^st semester)
• RUES 710 -- Core Colloquium discussing guest lectures (1^st semester)
• RUES 730 -- Identities and Transitions (2^nd semester)
• RUES 993 -- Thesis

Language Study

Students are required to enroll in language study each semester. See Application and Admissions (below) for prior language study requirements. Language courses available include:

• Russian (Five levels of course available every semester.)
• Czech (Two-year sequence begins in fall of odd-numbered years.)
• Polish (Two-year sequence begins in fall of even-numbered years.)
• Serbo-Croatian (Two-year sequence begins in fall of odd-numbered years.)
• Hungary (Two-year sequence begins in fall of even-numbered years).

Area Studies

Courses are selected, in consultation with the Program Advisor, from approximately 100 regularly taught courses covering Russia and Eastern Europe in history, political science, economics, literature/culture, art, and other fields. The Center for Slavic, Eurasian, and East European Studies publishes a semi-annual listing of relevant courses.

A cooperative agreement with Duke University allows students to enroll in courses there as well.

Academic or professional concentration

Students develop a disciplinary or professional concentration by selecting three or more courses in an academic department or professional school subject to approval of the Program Advisor.

Internships

Students are strongly encouraged to spend the summer between the first and second years of study performing an internship. The Program Advisor will work closely with students to find opportunities matching their interests in government, business, and the nonprofit sector. Study abroad opportunities also exist for the summer, including a program in Prague, Czech Republic.

Thesis requirement

A thesis is required of all students who are a candidate for the degree. This project will involve a topic related to both the chosen country of focus and academic or professional concentration. For the thesis students must undertake original research using their selected language. In addition to the written thesis, all students are required to make an oral presentation of their thesis project.